Unions begin endorsing Tom Wolf for governor while several support Mr. Corbett

BY PAUL TUCKER
THEUNIONNEWSSWB@AOL.COM

REGION, June 19th- Labor community members, including those that supported other Democratic candidates seeking the chance to face incumbent Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett in November, have begun endorsing businessman Tom Wolf.

Mr. Wolf defeated three other Democrats that were seeking their party’s nomination for Pennsylvania Governor in the May primary election. Mr. Wolf will likely gain most of the support of organized labor and has already gained the support of the Pennsylvania American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) labor federation in Harrisburg for the November election, along with several labor labor unions..

The labor community has put a high priority on defeating Mr. Corbett in 2014.

Mr. Wolf is receiving the endorsements of the labor community despite that most of the unions that did endorse a candidate for the primary election supported Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord. Many within the labor community did not make a endorsement of any candidate.

The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) District Council of Western Pennsylvania and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 154 have endorsed Mr. Corbett despite being considered to be one of or the most anti-union governor in Pennsylvania’s history.

The two largest public sector labor organizations that endorsed Mr. McCord for the spring election have since announced they will support Mr. Wolf for the November election.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Union Council 13 voted to endorse Mr. Wolf only days after the primary election.

Mr. Wolf has made it clear if elected he would support issues important to the labor community including: improving oversight of charter and cyber charter schools; protect the right of workers to unionize and collectively bargain; veto any legislation that restricts the rights of workers, including repealing the agency fee, doing away with union dues deduction, eliminating the right of school employees to strike, and any change to the prevailing wage law.